


Slow Burn

by NotScary_Caroline



Category: The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
Genre: Alternate Ending, Based on The Fault in Our Stars, Cancer, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 16:41:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18996496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotScary_Caroline/pseuds/NotScary_Caroline
Summary: The only thing that lit up like a Christmas tree was Augustus’ face when the plane landed in Indianapolis, Indiana. When Hazel actually made it through the plane terminal without gasping for air. When Hazel announced her remission of her thyroid cancer. Now it was just the lungs to beat. No more cancertastic thyroid.A few months later, the Phalanxifor stopped working. Everything stopped working. The colonies of Mets implemented a government and began building skyscrapers and suburbs. Hazel had depleted in lung function.Instead of a grenade, she now compared herself to a candle. With a simple slow burn. Her time to flicker out was soon she said. Everyone would be in the dark, blindly stumbling for a while. But eventually, they’d light another candle.Now, she was grabbing at slick ground to stay alive. She wondered if anyone could save her at this point. If anything could save her.





	Slow Burn

It stunned Hazel Grace how simply she had accepted death until it looked her in the eyes through nothing more than a thin sheet. How she wanted to evade it then... When the phalanxifor stopped working, she’d never seen Augustus so upset.

“You know Hazel Grace...” He’d said. “I’ve never been so happy to see somebody put out of their suffering. I’ve also never held such a vice grip on somebody who so clearly needed to go.”

Hazel now went to see Dr. Maria about once every two weeks. Drainage. More experimental drugs. New fitness regimens to maintain her lung function if not expand it. Nothing ever worked. Augustus was now used to practically carrying Hazel into the heart of Jesus for the first week. 

Then she stopped attending support group. 

One morning, about two, the blue-black sky still twinkling with stars, Augustus’ phone lit up the room to accompany the stars. 

Augustus looked over at the phone and gulped. Hazel. 

He slowly lifted the impending doom rectangle to the side of his face, gulping once more and pressing the green button. “Hello?” He asked. 

“Augustus...” Hazel’s newfound gentle voice met his ear. She couldn’t speak above more than a whisper. “I just... Checked my emails for today,” she stopped to catch a breath. 

“They put me on a wait list... For a lung transplant. I’m behind a girl named... Stella. Cystic fibrosis it says she has.”

Augustus grinned. “Seems as though you’ll be around to ignore me for a while longer Hazel Grace.” He teased, his heart giving the happiest leap. 

Hazel chuckled before it turned into a cough. “If I don’t die first.” She spoke grimly. 

Augustus shook his head. “They’ll have you a pair of lungs before you know it. I know they will.”

Hazel nodded. “That’s all I wanted to say. You should get some sleep.” Augustus chuckled and nodded. 

“That would be lovely Hazel. Thank you. Goodnight darling.” Hazel blushed and bid him goodnight.


End file.
